Directional register



J. H BAILEY ErAL DIRECTIONAL REGISTER April' I, 1941.

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JmarEBmI/gy andEw/M'Z'B I y MW ATTORNEY! BYM April 1, 1941. J. H. BAILEYEI'AL DIRECTIONAL REGISTER 1 Filed March 2, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 OZ fFIJ INVENTORS an lay a 441 ATTORNEYS $5 is 90 J6 Jar/10.1KB and B l?Patented Apr. 1, 1941 iJNiTED STATESr-PATENT OFFICE DIRECTIONAL REGISTERJames H. Bailey, New Canaan, Conn., and Frank T. Bailey, Montclair, N.J.

Application March 2, 1938, Serial No. 193,428

Claims. 98-110) This invention relates to an improved construction forregisters used to direct the flow of air from heating and ventilatingsystems.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a simple andefficient means for operating the vanes of a register-and locking themin adjusted position.

One form of the invention provides an improved arrangement in which thevanes of a register may be set and locked individually in differentpositions of adjustment in order to direct flow in diiierent directions.In another form the .vanes may be operated simultaneously, or may beadjusted individually.

Another feature of the invention resides in a simplified constructionfor furnishing the register with stationary deflector vanes.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

While preferred forms of the invention are disclosed herein for purposesof illustration, it should be understood that various changes may bemade Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention'asherein set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a register constructed according to the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of the register of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 but showing a modifiedconstruction;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modified arrangement forholding the vanes in adjusted position;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating a modified form ofoperating device; v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing a. modifying method ofmounting thevanes;

Fig. 9 is afragmentary View similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form oftheinvention; I

Fig. 10 is a section taken substantially on the line IIl-ID of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section takensubstantially on the line Illl of Fig. 9; Y

Fig. 12 is a section takensubstantially on the line I2I2' of Fig. 11.

Referring to the'drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, the register includes a casing I 0 and side walls II Aplurality of vanes I2 are mounted in the casing with their pintles I3journaled in side walls I I. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and3, a centralgroove .I4 is formed ineach of the vanes. I Land. thepintles I3 are held in. the ends of the groove by any suitable means.

In. order toprovide means for operating the vanes and locking them inadjusted positions, a

\ metal disc I5 is rigidly secured to pintles I3 along one side of thecasing, as shown in Fig. 1. These discs are preferably stamped fromrelatively heavy sheet metal. As shown in the form illustrated in Figs.1 to 4, the side wall II is formed with an offset I6 above discs I5 andan ear I1 is punched upwardly from the oiiset above each disc. A setscrew I3 is threaded through each of the ears and impinges upon theperiphery of the disc. The outer flange I9 of the casing is elevated asuificient distance above offset I6 to permit set screws It to liewholly below the plane of the face of the register. Any suitableornamental grill may be secured to flanges IS.

The arrangement just described provides a simple and efficient means foradjusting and holding the vanes I2. A screw-driver, or other suitableinstrument, can be used to set each of the vanes to the desired positionand the corresponding set screw I8 can then be tightened home againstthe disc I5 to prevent accidental rotation of the vane. Thisconstruction permits each individual vane to be independently set sothat the register may direct flow of air to different parts of a room asmay be desired for a particularinstallation.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in which the offset I6 is not present.In this case the set screw I8 may be mounted on any suitable part of thecasing, such as the ear 20 pressed from the side wall of the casing.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modification in which each vane is held in adjustedposition. by a spring member 2| which has one end attached to the casingand its other end frictionally engaging disc l5. It should be understoodthat any other I suitable method for applying frictional resistance tothe disc I5 will serve the purpose.

The vanes need not be mounted concentric to discs I5 as is shown in Fig.8 where each of the vanes I2 has one of its long edges mounted on anaxis concentric with a disc.

(Fig. 7 illustrates a modification in which a driving rod 22 has apivotal connection. with each of the discs l5 and an operating lever 23hasits lower end pivoted on the outside of the side wall of the casing.In this construction, movement of lever 23 operates all of the vanessimultaneously. The pins connecting the lever 23 to the respective discscan be readily removable so that after a simultaneous adjustment of allthe vanes has been made, one or more of the pins can be removed topermit an independent adjustment of the vane or vane-s associatedtherewith. Such independent adjustment can be made at any time. Springssimilar to springs 2| of Fig. 6 or any other suitable means can beutilized for holding the independently adjusted vanes in their adjustedpositions.

Another feature of the invention resides-in the provision of stationarydeflectors 24, see Figs. 2; and 3. The lower edge of each of thesedeflectors is set in a molding 25 which has a U-shapedbody portion andoutwardly extending flanges 26. The molding 25 has its opposite endssuitably attached to the casing, and deflector 24 is merely set in the Uchannel and retained therein by friction, thereby avoiding the necessityforwelding or other special fastening.

The flanges 26 provide surfaces against which the opposite edges of thevanes may seat, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which it is shownthat each vane has one edge seating on top of a fiange 26, and itsopposite edge seating on the bottom of a flange 26.

In Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, the preferred form of the invention has beenshown, which form utilizes the principle of selective adjustment of thevarious vanes either simultaneously or individually as may be desired.In these figures of the drawings 56 indicates generally the casing ofthe register made up of side walls top wall 52, and bottom wall 54. Therear edges of. the top and bottom walls 52 and 54 are formed insubstantially Z shape to provide an expanse 55 substantially parallel tothe major expanse of these walls. These parts 55 are apertured atintervals to receive grommet-like members 56 which serve as bearings forfiat spindle-like extensions 51 of a plurality of vanes 58. Preferably,in this form of the invention the spindle-like extensions which are madeintegrally with the vanes are laterally displaced relative to thelongitudinal axis of the respective vanes.

In order that the vanes can be rotated about their respective parallelaxes use is made of an actuator plate 68 which is positioned immediatelyabove the top edges of the vanes and which has a plurality of pins 6|depending from the lower surface thereof. The actuator plate 60 has acentral extension 62 provided with a curved slot 64 adapted to beengaged by a. roller 65 secured to anarm 66 which in turn is pivotallyfastened to the top wall 52 as indicated at 61. The arm 66 has anextreme end portion 68 bent substantially at right angles to the majorportion thereof and positioned to overlie a curved locking bar 69 whichis secured to the .top wall 52 in spaced relation thereto as shown inFig. 9. An angle member 18 has one portion thereof in sliding contactwith a portion of the arm 66 and has the other part thereof positionedbeneath the curved locking bar 69. A screw. ll passing through the part68 also passes through a threaded aperture in the part of the anglemember 18 underlying the bar 69 so that this underlying part can bedrawn into such frictional contact with the bar 69 as to lock the armsubstantially immovably relative thereto.

The actuator plate 66 has one edge thereof out out in more or lessscallop fashion as shown generally at 15 to permit the plate to be movedin such manner as to clear the various bearingmembers 56; it beingunderstood that movement of the army 66 causes movement of plate 68 inmore or less arcuate fashion. The pins 6| depending from the plate 60are adapted to be engaged by tab members 16 extending outwardly from thevarious vanes 58. In the form shown in these figures the two end vanesare provided with tabs 16 which are made integral with the respectivevanes. However, the two inner vanes instead of having integral tabs, areprovided with sliding strips 80, the upper ends of which are bent atright angles to form tabs 16. These strips 88 have spaced longitudinalslots 8| for the passage of locking screws 82 engaging threadedapertures in the vanes. The lower ends of the strips 80 are formed insuch shape as to provide depending fingers 84. By adjusting the strip 80relative to the vanes to which they are attached it is possible to causethe openings in the tabs 16 thereof to engage depending pins 6| or inother positions to be out of engagement with such pins. This lattercondition is desirable in instances wherein conditions require that oneor more of the vanes be locked against movement even though theremainder of the vanes be capable of simultaneous movement. Toaccomplish thispurpose the bottom wall 54 is provided with a platformmember 98 extending completely across the register and the platformmember 98 is provided with a series of apertures 9| arranged in arcuatefashion in such relative positions that any one of the apertures of aseries can be engaged by the finger 84 secured to a vane associated withthe particular series of apertures.

With this arrangement it is possible to unlock a desired vane from theactuator and to lock it in any desired angular position by merelyreleasing the screws 82 which fasten the strip 80 to the vane, movingthe vane to the desired angular position and inserting the finger 84 inthe proper aperture 9|. The screws 82 may be tightened to lock thefinger in this adjusted position. At the same time the remainder of thevanes can be rotated simultaneously by movement of the arm 66 whichcauses movement of the actuator plate 60 and consequent rotation of thevanes attached thereto. It is to be understood of course, that while thetwo end vanes have not been shown as being provided with strips 80, suchstrips can be included, in which event each vane of the assembly can beeither individually adjusted 0r simultaneously rotated.

In addition to serving simply as registers the devices disclosed hereinare capable of other uses.

For example, a device made in accordance with any of the embodiments ofthe invention may have the vanes thereof locked in desired positions andwhen so locked the device can be secured at any point in an air duct toserve as an aid in directing flow of air through the duct. Particularly,a device in accordance with the foregoing, can be employed to facilitatechange of direction of air flow for which purpose the device can belocked in or adjacent to a bend in the duct to prevent the setting up ofany currents or the like.

Any of the arrangements disclosed herein may be modified, and ifdesired, features shown in one embodiment may be incorporated in anotherembodiment. It will be apparent that the invention provides an improvedstructure wherein the various vanes may be individually adjusted.Furthermore, the invention provides structure in which the vanes may besimultaneously adjusted through a single actuating device and any or allof the vanes associated vwith such an actuator may be individually,adjusted, and if desired,

. locked in such individually adjusted positions.

vention are to be only those set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A register comprising a casing, a plurality of vanes rotatablymounted in said casing with their longitudinal axes in substantialparallelism, a driving member, connections between said driving memberand said vanes, and means for operating said driving member .tosimultaneously adjust all of said vanes, said connections beingremovable, whereby any of said vanes may be adjusted independently ofthe other of said vanes, and means for holding a vane in any of aplurality of adjusted positions while other vanes are adjustedsimultaneously by operation of said driving member.

2. A register comprising a casing, a plurality of vanes rotatablymounted in said casing with their longitudinal axes in substantialparallelism, operating means connectible to said vanes forsimultaneously adjusting all of the vanes, said vanes being individuallyseparable from said operating mechanism, whereby any vane can beadjusted independently of the other vanes, and means for holding a vanein any of a plurality of adjusted positions while other vanes areadjusted simultaneously by operation of said operating means.

3. A register comprising a casing, a plurality of vanes, each vanehaving a pintle projecting at each end from its longitudinal centralaxis, the pintles being mounted in opposite sides of the casing, eachvane having a disc mounted on one of its pintles for rotation therewith,a driving rod connected to each disc, a lever pivotally mounted on thecasing and connected to the driving rod for operating the vanessimultaneously, the connections between the driving rod and the discbeing detachable, and means for holding a Vane in any of a plurality ofadjusted positions while other vanes are adjusted simultaneously byoperation of said driving rod.

4. A register comprising a casing, a plurality of vanes rotatablymounted in said casing, an actuator member slidably secured near one endof said vanes, connections between said vanes and said actuator wherebymovement of the actuator causes simultaneous rotation of said vanes,said connections being separable from said actuator whereby a vane maybe adjusted independently of the other vanes and means carried by thevanes and engaging cooperating parts of the casing for locking anindividual vane in adjusted position.

5. A register comprising a casing, a plurality of vanes rotatablymounted in said casing on substantial parallel axes, an actuatorslidably secured in said casing adjacent one end of said vanes, lockingmembers secured to the respective vanes and movable into positionengaging parts of said actuator for causing simultaneous rotation of allvanes having their locking members so engaged, said locking membersbeing independently movable from actuator-engaging position to releasethe connection therewith and being movable into position engagingcooperating formations in said frame to lock an individual vane inadjusted position.

JAMES H. BAILEY. FRANK T. BAILEY.

